


Sleep Comes Bearing Gifts of Wonder

by Widow_Spyder



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Hypnotism, I'll add more tags as more chapters come, Literal Sleeping Together, Lullabies, M/M, Massage, Minor Injuries, Singing, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep crash, Sleepiness, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Time Tea, Tea, no actual mind control, no established timeline, poor Gen, poor senku, sengen, that's not what hypnotism really is, theres a small car crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:21:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23037763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Widow_Spyder/pseuds/Widow_Spyder
Summary: 5 ways Gen gets Senku to sleep and 1 time Senku returns the favor.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Comments: 158
Kudos: 881





	1. Massages can work wonders

From what Gen could gather, Senku seemed to have phases of insomnia that corresponded with his moods. It all depended on the situation, of course, but more often than not, the reason Senku evaded sleep was because his precious science was grabbing all of his attention. From what Gen could tell, it was a long bred habit for the scientist to forget his own state of well being when there was a good challenge presented to him, which entailed to Senku ’forgetting’ that he had to sleep at all. 

Gen officially deemed it in his mind as the ‘starting phase.’ It wasn’t exactly easy to spot, but it wasn’t hard to predict it’s arrival. At that point, Gen always tried to intervene and be sure to put a stop to the phase, moving on to the next. 

So when Senku waved his hand in silent dismissal at Chrome’s suggestion that they stop experimenting for the night, Gen stepped forward, nodding to Chrome to head out and bidding him a good night. From there, Gen took a second to waltz around the science kingdoms lab. He idly fiddled with a few bottles on the shelf and made a full circle around the table, before turning his full attention to Senku. 

The latter in question looked to be in deep concentration as he wrote equation after equation on the leather bindings they had made. There was a furrow in his brows and a piercing glint in his eyes that screamed tension as he continued to work without noticing the spiral he was close to falling in. It wasn’t healthy; everyone could see that. Even Senku had to know, deep down. But right then, it didn’t look like the thought had entered his mind as he bit his bottom lip and restarted an equation he’d already done. 

“Either be useful or turn in, mentalist.” Senku ground out, obviously noticing Gen doing nothing but stare at him for the last two minutes. 

“Now, now, Senku-chan. I am being useful.” Gen walked closer to Senku, perching himself on the table right next to him and the parchments of leather. 

Senku didn’t even look up from the table. “How so?”

“By getting you to stop and relax for the night.”

“I don’t need to.” Senku immediately responded as he tried to continue writing while Gen repeatedly took away the leather scraps and cleared the table. 

“You have no idea how much you _do_ need to relax.” Gen chuckled. “I can see how tense you are from here.”

Senku frowned. “I’m not.”

“Ah-ah! Mentalist orders.” Gen waved his finger in Senku’s line of sight. “You’ve really gotta loosen up Senku-chan. In more ways than one.”

Senku knocked Gen’s finger away with an annoyed huff. “I let my muscles relax in the hot baths.” 

“Funny, I never see you up there.” Gen tilted his head as he tried to remember if he’d ever seen Senku even close to the hot springs. “How long do you stay?”

“Two minutes.” Senku answered, getting a confused stutter from the other. Senku sighed as he explained. “30 seconds to get in, 30 seconds to wash the top half of my body, another 30 seconds to wash the bottom half of my body, and the last 30 seconds to relax before I get out.” 

“Seriously?! That’s barely enough time to do anything! How do you expect your muscles to relax in such a short amount of time?” Gen ranted. He didn’t know whether he felt sorrier for Senku’s muscles at the poor treatment or Senku’s short hygiene routine. In turn, Senku moved his head to face Gen as he got that familiar calculating glint in his eyes. 

“It’s plenty of time for someone of my muscle mass and weight as well as tension ratio, though it really depends on what kind of day it is. If I were to -” 

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Gen interrupted with a chuckle. “Sit.” Gen ordered pointing back to Senku’s chair he had been previously sitting in. 

Eager to get back to his science equations Senku complied without question and threw his attention fully back into his work. What Senku wasn’t expecting, was too firm hands landing softly on top of his shoulders and beginning to rub small circles into the tender flesh. Despite not being the touchy-feely type, Senku found the small ministrations to feel -- nice, which seemed to motivate Gen into continuing when he wasn’t immediately thrown off. 

Eventually, small circles with a gentle touch started to evolve into a firmer kneading, effectively releasing the tense muscles from their locked positions and easily distracting Senku with the relief. At some point, Gen started humming under his breath as he moved from the top of Senku’s shoulders down to the shoulder blades and upper back. 

It really was astounding how Senku managed to ignore how tight he let his muscles get and still manage to work efficiently without even a hint of discomfort. The thought only served to make Gen frown. _Just how long had Senku been keeping his own soreness hidden from everyone else for the sake of helping the science kingdom grow. How long could he possibly continue the habit before it became a permanent problem in a more noticeable way?_

Apparently, it would be a thought for later because a barely concealed moan after he pressed particularly hard into a firmer piece of muscle had him snapping his attention back to Senku, who was leaning heavily against him with half-lidded eyes. 

Gen felt himself smile as he slowed down his massage and watched Senku rub at his eyes and yawn before leaning back against Gen’s chest. Another minute passed before Gen tapped Senku on the shoulder, getting a small nod in response to their wordless conversation. 

As gently as he could, Gen ducked under Senku’s arm, letting rest at the back of his neck before wrapping his other arm around Senku’s waist and standing him up and out of the chair. Together, they slowly walked towards the observatory, getting a small smile and nod from Kohaku and Chrome as they passed before finally making it to the ladder, an obstacle that was way harder than what was probably necessary to overcome. 

Once they actually make it inside the observatory without injuring themselves, Gen set Senku down to sit against the wall while he unrolled their bedrolls and prepared them for bed. Meanwhile, Senku looked about 10 seconds away from falling asleep sitting up, when he suddenly broke the silence with a tentative whisper, making Gen pause for a second. “Don’t need you babysitting me, mentalist.”

“Oh, I know, Senku-chan.” Gen smiled at the obvious attempt of Senku waving him off, which would’ve worked if he weren’t slumped against the wall with unfocused eyes and a tired posture. He continued laying out their blankets as he sarcastically added. “It’s not like you really need it anyway.”

“Exactly.” Senku agreed, even as Gen helped him up and laid him down on his bedroll as Gen hummed and tucked the blankets around him. 

“Mhmm, glad we agree.” Gen said, finally taking the time to take off his own layers of clothes and sliding under the covers onto his bedroll. By the time he blows out the candle, Senku has gotten comfortable and shuffled closer to him with his back facing Gen. His breath is even, and his face is relaxed. The sight is enough to make Gen relax himself and close his eyes to sleep as well. He almost managed it when a tiny voice filtered through his mind, so quiet Gen almost thought he imagined it. 

“Thank you, Gen.” 

Gen opened his eyes to Senku now facing him, dead asleep and snoring softly. The sight and appreciation are enough to make Gen smile and shuffle even closer until their foreheads are nearly touching and their breaths mingle into one. 

“It’s no problem, Senku-chan.” Gen whispered back before dropping off himself.


	2. Sing me your lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lullabies work wonders ~

As winter blew through Ishigami village, the nights started to get familiarly colder and colder. The cellphone was halfway done, and with it, Spring’s arrival became closer. Unfortunately, that also meant the war with Tsukasa’s army was closing in too. 

In other words, things needed to be ready without fail. 

Which meant most of the responsibility of _getting_ everything ready was mainly up to Senku. And with his already lacking sleep schedule, it wasn’t long before the science kingdom’s leader started putting off sleep altogether for the sake of working. 

Which was where Gen found himself one particular evening. With their insomnia struck mad genius scientist who was lying on the floor next to him with a leather page blueprint in his hands. While the floor of the science lab surely couldn’t have been comfortable, Senku didn’t seem to mind it. 

They both had been sitting there for hours, though, and while Senku didn’t seem keen on admitting it, Gen was starting to feel sore and tired. While he could’ve been laying in a nice bedroll in their warm science shed, Gen was stuck watching Senku flit through blueprint after blueprint with no end in sight. Gen didn’t mind, though. Someone had to make sure Senku went to bed. He had already skipped sleep the previous night, right under Gen’s nose. 

Gen wasn’t about to let that happen again. Even as boredom settled in and he leaned against the wall, fiddling with the outer coat of his jacket. He didn’t even notice Senku crawling closer to him until his head bumped Gen’s leg. 

“What’re you humming?” Senku asked as he stared at Gen’s face like he was another one of his equations that needed solving. 

“Hmm? Oh it’s nothing.” Gen answered right off the bat. That was always his answer back in the old world when people asked what song he had been humming under his breath. People didn’t need to know about his personal life. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like the answer was going to satisfy Senku, if his continued staring was anything to go by. Despite himself, Gen felt the need to squirm under the calculating gaze. “Just an old lullaby I heard somewhere back in the modern world.”

Senku scrunched his eyes in disbelief but finally turned his gaze away to the ceiling. “Doesn’t seem like just a random melody you picked up.” 

“Your proof?” Gen asked, feeling his body tense under the sudden scrutiny. Senku didn’t pay his unease any mind and instead pointed at Gen’s face. 

“Your eyes glazed over when you hummed it.”

Gen scoffed before he could stop himself. The familiar sense of defensiveness swimming to the front of his brain like it always did. “So?”

Senku shrugged and lowered his hand. “It means something to you.”

“And what if it did?” 

“Does it?” Senku asked, turning his gaze back to staring a hole through Gen’s soul. At first, Gen didn’t answer, choosing to mull over the simple question in his head and figuring out how best to respond. Meanwhile, Senku patiently waited after getting the message that this particular topic was something Gen never really talked about. 

“Yes.” Gen sighed after a few minutes. The temptation to clench his fists and bite his lip was hard to ignore, and yet he pressed on. “It’s - it’s something from my past. An old song that was sung to me by someone important in my life.” 

“A parent?” 

Gen coughed lightly to try and dispel the sudden wave of tension he felt. “My mother, yes. She is - was a good singer. From the few times, I heard her at least.” Gen said, letting his voice quiet down a bit. “She sang it to me almost every day after I was born.” 

“Was it nice?” Senku asked, letting his eyes close as he listened to Gen talk. 

“Very much so, yes. It helped when I first got started into show business. Just hum one of the melodies and everything would just suddenly feel okay.” Gen reminisced, feeling that well-known wave of emotion that would always crash into him whenever he talked about this subject. When he spoke next, his voice was almost quieter than a whisper. “Like she was really still there beside me at the time.”

Senku stayed silent for a while after that, and Gen was grateful for it. After a few more minutes of just the sounds of their breathing and the wind outside, Senku broke the silence with a tentative question. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to hear the lyrics.” 

Gen sighed, though it sounded more uplifting than sad. “Okay.”

It had been centuries (around 3,700 of them), and yet even after all that time, the lyrics were still burned into his memory like a brand. Now, for once, he felt comfortable reciting the lyrics to an audience. With Senku with him, the uneasiness that latched onto him felt like it was melting away slowly. 

Gen took a deep breath and centered himself, making sure he put enough pressure on his throat with his hand to match that nearly forgotten voice perfectly. 

_Here I am, this is me  
Brokenhearted but finally free  
Never quite fit the mold  
Just not great at doing what I’m told_

_Now you’re here in my world  
So much bigger from my point of view  
Centuries from my home  
Can’t go back, so let’s start something new_

_Here I am, this is me  
Open-hearted, I proudly decree  
Now as queen, I am yours  
Let’s make magic and reach for the stars  
Let’s make magic and reach for the stars_

By the last line, Gen’s voice was cracking harder than when he was teenager, but for some reason, he didn’t care. It had been ages since he’d really sung the song, lyrics and all. A little emotional feeling wasn’t bad to have once in a while. Gen doubted Senku would care either, seeing as the other was fast asleep with his head on his lap. _When had that happened?_

More importantly, how was he going to get both of them to bed?

Gen giggled as he shifted to blow out the candles, getting a tighter grip around his legs from the exhausted body that was laying on him. Yeah, they weren’t going anywhere for a while. Though it was nice to know that his mother’s lullaby was a prime way of getting their insomniac scientist to sleep efficiently, Gen would have to save that information in his brain for later. 

Despite knowing his legs would go numb soon and that the ground of the lab was no place to sleep, Gen let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes. Soon enough, the soothing sound of Senku’s even breathing and the feeling of his soft hair threading through his fingers lulled Gen to sleep too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, I know... But so is my free time IM SORRY I don't have enough time to write longer fics at the moment. This month alone has just been nuts. Give me a few weeks! And things should be back to normal soon.
> 
> Yes the lullaby is “Here I am” from Star vs the Forces of Evil. I just thought it fit well ok! I did alter some of the lyrics to fit the story more though. Am I allowed to do that? I hope so. Why is the last line of that song just so sengen to me?!
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one and thank you for reading!! <3


	3. Herby teas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen brews the new world version of sleepy time tea.

“Morning, Senku-chan!” Gen chirped, as he pushed the curtains to the lab aside and entered the disaster area that had apparently endured a science-filled storm the night before. “Were you up late again?” Gen chastised with a frown as he picked up a stray piece of paper off the floor and added it to the collection on the table. 

“Four blueprints had errors in them, so I redid them.” Came Senku’s, rough with disuse, voice. He seemed to be set on keeping his gaze lowered to the table and away from Gen’s sight, but after moving around him, Gen was able to figure out why. The beginnings of dark circles were starting to appear on Senku’s pale skin right beneath his eyelids, giving the sense that he’d been lightly punched in both eyes. Gen withheld a wince, as he remembered his own experience with dark circles - as well as black eyes. The only exception was that he’d use makeup to cover it up and never gave anyone a clue that they were there. Senku seemed to not care about them, though, as he held his gaze with Gen’s, unblinking as the silence stretched between them. 

Gen decided not to mention it. 

“The great Ishigami Senku, the genius scientist of the new world, made an error on some blueprints?!” Gen sarcastically gasped as he leaned back in fake shock, getting an annoyed huff in response to his antics. 

“Shut it, mentalist.”

“Harsh, but alright, I won’t press.” Gen held up his hands in surrender. “You’re obviously in a mood, though you wouldn’t have to be if you actually got a full night’s sleep.” Gen mumbled the last part, more to himself but loud enough for Senku to hear anyway. 

Finally, Senku turned his head - his first real action since Gen arrived - and fixed Gen with a hardened glare. “That supposed to mean something to me?”

“Not currently, but later tonight, it might.” Gen shrugged, holding his ground until Senku turned back towards the papers in front of him. In the meantime, Gen got to work re-organizing and cleaning the lab up. All the while, he kept stealing small and short glances at Senku as he continued writing, being sure to catch the leathers that were swept aside before they hit the ground. Gen didn’t have to tell Senku that the action was practically wasting the fine and hard to get material. Something told him that that was a part of why a cloud of frustration hung over Senku’s head. 

“I’ll take a nap later, would that satisfy your annoying mentalism game?” Senku broke the silence, seemingly getting fed up with Gen’s constant, ‘I’m worried for you, and I’m showing it discreetly with no one else around’ looks. 

Gen ignored the provocation with ease and changed the subject. “You know it’s unhealthy to be this worked up so early in the morning.” An eye roll. “Why don’t we get breakfast.”

“Hmm.” Senku slowly nodded, moving to stand up but having to grip the edge of the table after a second of being upright for what seemed like the first time in hours. “I’m fine!” Senku snapped before Gen could even think about reaching out to help. Senku righted himself a second later and continued, lowering his voice back to normal. “A nap is all I need. I’ll take one later.”

Gen smiled a small smile and patted Senku on the shoulder as they both walked out into the morning sun. “Okay, ~.”

——————

As nighttime fell, so did Senku’s promise to take a nap. Hours passed, and not one moment was spared away from his precious working. Gen honestly wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last time this would happen. 

Gen briefly wondered how Senku managed his insomnia in the old world. Taiju and Yuzuriha, wouldn’t _always_ be there to make sure he slept every night. Did he continue pushing himself, or was it easier to manage with all the technological advancements they had? Whatever, Senku did, Gen didn’t dwell on the thought for long. 

He had a plan to fulfill, after all. 

As a performer and magician, Gen learned early on to always be prepared for anything and everything, which was why, while Senku was busy driving himself towards his limit, Gen set off with Suika for a flower picking field trip and an eventual tea time with Ruri. While picking flowers with the help of Suika, Gen was able to pick up all the things he needed for his special plan. Valerian root was first, then chamomile, some lemon balm, and finally lavender for extra power. Then after lunch, Gen spent the afternoon with Ruri at their annual tea times, where she let him brew the herbs he found into a tea with her special kettle Senku built for her while they talked. 

Then the sun set, and it became time to enact Gen’s master plan. Armed with an extra pillow, the herbal tea he made and a bunch of lavender, Gen set off for the science shed, after bidding everyone an early goodnight and getting a knowing nod from Chrome and Kohaku. 

It was a little hard to climb the ladder with all the stuff he was carrying, but Gen managed it. Once inside, Gen found, to his bewilderment, Senku not noticing his presence at all, too absorbed in what was in front of him to hear Gen’s struggle up the ladder. 

“Senku-chan?” Gen softly called, not wanting to startle him. Gen couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed when Senku, not-so-subtly stiffened at his arrival anyway. He held up his hands and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. “Mind some friendly company tonight?”

“Depends.” Senku narrowed his eyes at him. They both knew he was thinking about the unfulfilled promise he had made to take a nap that day. “You going to lecture me on my sleeping habits?”

“Do I need to? Sounds to me like you’ve already run through that lecture yourself.”

“I can deal with it just fine.” Senku assured, allowing Gen to walk over to him and set down the things he brought with him. 

“I don’t hold any doubts when it comes to you, Senku-chan.” Gen responded, setting out their two cups and placing the pillows to the side where he could easily grab them later. 

“Uh huh. So what do you want exactly? And don’t drag it on some long-winded speech, or I’ll throw you out.” Senku threatened, making it a point to not look at him until Gen tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. 

“I just wanted to share some tea.” Gen smiled, trying his hardest to appear soft and inviting. “Maybe help you with your science ramblings.”

“Sugar coating will get you nowhere.” Senku deadpanned. 

“I’m well aware.” Gen laughed, despite feeling a twinge of annoyance at Senku’s stubbornness. He softened his features and voice before continuing, changing his tone to be more serious. “But really, I just wanted some company. Is it so wrong I decided to choose you for it?”

Senku hummed before finally raising the steaming cup to his lips and taking a slow sip. Then another and another. The next fifteen minutes were spent with Gen softly nodding and asking random science questions while Senku worked and answered them. All the while, Senku continuously drank the tea in short sips before the cup was half empty. Once he was sure enough of it had gotten into his system, Gen spread out the pillows around them and asked the first non-science question of the hour. 

“How’s the tea?” Gen shuffled with the pitcher, pouring a bit more into both his and Senku’s cups. Luckily it was still warm and tingled slightly as it ran down his throat. Gen could already feel it’s effects starting and wondered if Senku was feeling the same. The ingredients in the tea were nothing special by themselves, but together, they made for a good sleeping tea according to their village priestess. He had been a little skeptical, but now Gen was feeling more and more convinced. As well as more and more tired. 

“It’s alright.” Senku whispered, breaking Gen out of his thoughts. “Kind of herby.”

“I agree, nothing like the teas we had in the old world.”

Senku nodded, leaning his head back and looking up at the stars through the science shed door. “Lots of things have changed.” He whispered as Gen moved to sit closer to him and look in the same direction. 

“Hmm, I never cared to really look at them in the old world.” Gen held out his arm and traced one of the constellations he saw with his fingers. “Were they always so bright? Seems weird to miss them in their sheer presence.” 

Senku chuckled, the sound resonating giddy waves through Gen’s body. “Embellishing them quite a lot, aren’t you?”

“Am I wrong, though?” Gen asked, joining in on the soft laughing. 

“No, they are pretty... pretty.” Senku stuttered out, lamely, ducking his head as Gen laughed again. “Shut up.” Senku muttered, playfully shoving Gen’s shoulder. They took a minute to calm down before Gen decided to speak up again. 

“So when civilization is back again, we won’t be able to see them as well?” 

“We -” Senku corrected. 

“We?”

“We can make a few changes to the norms of civilization.” Senku emphasised the ‘we’ particularly as he spoke. “We’ll do mandatory ‘no light pollution’ days so everyone can see the stars.” 

Gen smiled, bright, and genuinely happy. “Sure we can.” 

From there, they both sat in silence for a while, watching the stars and clouds pass by. Eventually, Senku’s head tipped and landed on Gen’s shoulder. Gen counted it as a victory for the night when Senku made no move to correct himself. 

“You smell like lavender.” Senku mumbled. Gen didn’t need to look to know his eyes were already closed. 

“Why thank you for noticing, Senku-chan.” Gen whispered, wrapping his arm around Senku’s shoulders and pulling him closer. _The tea really does work wonders,_ Gen thought, as he felt Senku’s breath on his neck even out, and more of his weight fall into him. 

Gen sighed and smiled, easing the both of them down onto the pillows he had laid out and pulled a thick blanket over them. As if he had sensed the comfort that was to be had, Senku unconsciously curled further into their pile and effectively into Gen himself. 

Gen happily allowed it, letting himself finally close his eyes and fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quickly! I just want to say to everyone to please stay safe during these times! Wash your hands, stay at home and help those around you who need it. I hope everyone is doing well. Things are getting a little hectic my side so the next update might not be so fast. I'm really sorry, please bear with me. 
> 
> As always, Thank you for reading this! And I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Hypnotism?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen tries a new tactic to get Senku to sleep.... Hypnotism anyone?

The shipyard needed materials. Special, very specific materials that would work perfectly for the next part of the Perseus, everyone was working on. The problem was that those materials were kept in storage at Ishigami village. 

The materials they desperately needed were two days away by foot. But a couple of hours away by balloon. 

The other problem was that the balloon had already been taken out a few days ago, and their resident captain wasn’t eager to set off again so soon because he was busy ‘creating the stone world’s first Nanami Corps savings bank.’ Senku didn’t want to know what that project was going to entail. 

The noise of a resounding thud on the glass table startled Senku out of his thoughts, as he immediately looked towards the sudden disturbance only to see Gen standing above him with a scowl on his face. As soon as their eyes met, the scowl turned into an eerie smile, though Senku wasn’t fooled. He could see a vein in Gen’s forehead, ready to pop with his apparent annoyance. 

“Senku-chan.” Gen growled, barely keeping his expression in check. “For heaven and hell’s sake, why are you here?”

Senku cocked his eyebrow up at Gen’s angry-sounding tone but kept his ground steady. “Hmm? This is my lab.”

“I’m aware of that. Everyone in the shipyard is aware of that.” Gen quipped, frowning as Senku pulled his attention back to the papers on the table. “But are you aware of where you should be right now?”

“Where I should be?” Senku asked. 

Gen scowled and poked Senku in the forehead. “In your bed. Asleep. Not tinkering in here for the third night in a row.” 

“We need materials from Ishigami village, but Ryusui is apparently too busy for another hot balloon ride.”

“Yes, yes, sounds like a mighty big problem.” Gen backed away, shaking his head in exasperation before turning back to Senku with a pointed glare. “Except you shouldn’t be caring about something as trivial as that at this hour.”

“The sooner we get the problem out the way, the sooner we can get back to building.” Senku affirmed, waving his hand in dismissal. When Gen didn’t leave, Senku glanced in his direction, only to roll his eyes at the disappointed stare directed at him. “Really mentalist, just leave me alone.”

Gen ignored him and walked around the lab and re-organizing the things on the shelf. There wasn’t much room between the two of them since the lab at the Perseus location was a lot smaller. “Isn’t there anything you can brew that’ll help?” Gen asked. 

“No.”

“Liar!” Gen accused. 

Senku sighed. He could feel a stress headache coming on already. “Nothing will safely help me.” He ground out before grabbing all the papers on the table and piling them in his lap before Gen could take them away. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I highly doubt that.” 

Senku scoffed. “And what? You think your mentalist tricks will help?”

“I do, in fact. They’ve worked before, and they’ll work again.” Gen assured. He looked to be hard in thought for something Senku didn’t want to know. “Perhaps this time we’ll try a bit of hypnosis.”

“Yeah, like that works.” Senku chuckled a little before erupting into a wide yawn. 

“It does.” 

“Bullshit.”

“Fine, prove it to me.” Gen dared, stalking forward until only a foot of space was between them. Senku recognized the stance as one of Gen’s many manipulation tactics. When crowding in someone’s space while daring them to do something they may not want to do, it will almost always make them feel a sense of pride to show them wrong. Thus, making them do the thing they wouldn’t want to do before. 

Senku must’ve taken too long to answer because Gen explained a moment later, snapping Senku out of his thoughts. 

“Withstand a hypnosis session from me so you can prove that it’s bullshit.”

“Why would I need to do that if I already know it is?” Senku jibed back, reveling in the tiny twitch of annoyance Gen’s eye made when Senku didn’t take the bait. 

“Because you may have gone through all the facts as to why it wouldn’t work for you, but you haven’t experimented with it.” Gen poked Senku’s forehead, giggling a little at the way Senku’s eyes scrunched under his ministrations. “No scientific study can really be completed without tests being done to prove your findings with absolute certainty. Am I right, Senku-chan?” 

“Tch, fine!” Senku relented, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “One session, so you’ll get off my back about it.”

“Excellent.” Gen clapped his hands together with a smile that made Senku feel things he would surely assess later. “Let’s begin!” 

“Wait, now?” Senku blinked out of his thoughts with surprise etched on his face. “I’m… busy.”

“Ah ah. One session, that’s what you said and I’ll leave you alone.” Gen reiterated, before bumping Senku’s arm and adding a teasing tone to his voice. “Unless you’re afraid it might actually work?” 

“Bullshit.”

Gen laughed. “You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”

“Because you’re full of it.”

“Yes, yes. I’m the bad guy because I’m looking out for your health rather than you doing it yourself. Can we start?”

Senku sighed tiredly before nodding. “...go ahead.” 

“Right, lay here, please.” Gen pat his legs as he sat on the floor against the wall. If it were possible, Senku was sure his brain had just short-circuited. 

“On - on your lap?” Senku managed to ask, cursing his tiredness for making him stumble. 

“There are no chairs or bedrolls in here, so yes. Unless you’d rather be uncomfortable, which won’t do you any favors.”

“Fine.” Senku sighed, slowly sitting down and laying his head in the waiting space on Gen’s legs. While the fabric of Gen’s clothes were a little rough, it didn’t actually feel that bad. At least they smelled good. Like lavender and chamomile. His legs felt soft too. He abruptly snapped out of it when Gen hummed his approval above him, making Senku’s cheeks heat up. “Just don’t make me do weird things.” Senku mumbled out quickly to distract himself. 

“Weird things?” Gen questioned, making Senku mentally groan at having to explain himself. 

“Like… like acting like a chicken.” Senku gritted out, knowing full well his cheeks were starting to red against his will. It only became worse when Gen started laughing above him. “Shut up!” Senku growled. He could feel the vibration of Gen’s laughter under his head as Gen tried calming down. 

“Oh, Senku-chan.” Gen chuckled, wiping away tears Senku knew weren’t there. “First off, that is a big misconception. Hypnosis doesn’t actually take away your sense of control. In fact, you’ll be hyper-aware of what you’re doing and can easily stop anytime you want. All you have to do is open your eyes. Second, you’re making it sound like you believe it’ll work. Have a change of mind?” Gen wiggled his eyebrows with the same smirk he had before. 

Senku rolled his eyes, feeling a traitorous smile try to creep it’s way onto his face. “No.” 

“I thought so.” Gen sighed, letting the last legs of laughter die down before taking a deep breath and getting back to the task on hand. “Don’t take this as hypnosis then, we’ll call this meditation instead.” 

“And what technique will you be using?” Senku asked, _purely over scientific curiosity, of course._

“Simple breathing exercises, just to get you in the mood, and then we’ll get into the actual hypnotherapy aspect of it.” 

“So you are trying to get in my head.” 

“I’m just trying to mend a bad habit, Senku-chan.” Gen assured, stroking a hand through his hair. Something Senku normally would’ve batted away. When he didn’t, Gen continued, almost as if reading his thoughts. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. “I’d never change who you are.” Gen smiled above him. 

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it.” Senku said, shifting a little as the coldness of the ground started seeping through his clothes. Gen hummed and nodded.

“Close your eyes. Can I touch your face?” Gen asked, a hint of professionalism stringing through his voice. Senku nodded, closing his eyes and letting Gen do what he wanted. “Good, just keep them closed, alright?” Gen said, before taking a breath himself and started to explain. “The first stage is called hypnotic induction. So just -” Gen moved Senku’s pliant fingers to rest on Gen’s wrist where his pulse point was. “There, feel my heartbeat, calm and slow. That’s how we want your breathing to be. Follow my lead.” 

From there, Gen started with a few deep breaths, waiting for Senku to follow before going into patterned breathing exercises. After a few minutes, Senku could feel his head start to go light and airy. 

“You’re doing very well.” Gen’s voice cut through his mind softly. Logically, Senku knew Gen was barely a foot away from him, yet his voice sounded like it was reaching him from a deep pool that he had sunken to the bottom of. “Now, don’t talk, just listen and think about your surroundings. What you hear around you and the sensations you can feel.” Gen ordered.

Senku followed as best as he could. He strained his ears out to his surroundings and started hearing things he hadn’t noticed before. Gen’s slow breathing next to him, the crickets outside chirping, the wind blowing smoothly over the lab’s roof. 

Next, he focused on the sensations. He could feel the ground beneath him, coarse yet light from the repeated walking he did over it. The fabric of Gen’s clothes underneath his head, the feel of soft skin on his fingers where a slow and methodic beat rhythmed beneath it. The feeling of an equally soft hand resting lightly atop his hair. 

It was a lot yet also so little. Overwhelming yet underwhelming. Strange yet oddly relaxing. 

Distantly Senku was aware of Gen saying things to him, but they sounded far away. 

_“Good.”_

_“Calm.”_

_“Relaxed.”_

_“Easy.”_

_“Rest.”_

_“Breathe.”_

_“Relax.”_

_“Rest.”_

_“Calm.”_

_“Sleep.”_

“Now -” Gen’s soft voice filtered through Senku’s conscious more clearly this time as Senku dimly registered the feeling of Gen’s hand, no longer on his head, resting on top of his forehead. “Slowly, bring yourself back to the surface.” Gen ordered, waiting a few seconds for Senku to come back to himself. When Senku didn’t move to open his eyes, Gen lightly tapped him on the cheek. “Senku-chan, you with me?” 

It took a second longer than expected, but Senku managed to mumble out, “Mmm’no” before turning on his side, still in Gen’s lap. 

Gen chuckled softly as he tried to get Senku to let him up. “Come on, I know you’re tired, but the lab isn’t a comfortable place to sleep.”

“I’m comfortable where I am.” Senku grumbled as he wrapped his arm around Gen’s waist, effectively pinning both of them to the floor. 

Gen whined. “But I’m not!” 

“You were the one to suggest this, so take responsibility, mentalist.”

“Senku-chan!” Gen whined again, getting no response in return, only to look down and see Senku dead asleep, his mouth hanging slightly open and his eyes skittering behind closed lids. “How mean.” Gen smiled to himself, letting his own head rest back against the wall as he stroked his hand through Senku’s hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. The cute huffs of pleasure that he got in return were definitely worth the numbness Gen’s legs would surely feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late, once again... And once again I am very very sorry. I don't really have an excuse this time either, I just didn't feel that motivated to write. Is this a writers block? Because it sucks... And I'm sure it sucks for you guys too. I'll try to be more consistent but it's hard without motivation. I'm gonna try to rewatch the anime to see if that helps, but we'll see. Again I really am so sorry to make you guys wait (I know I hate waiting for my fav fics to update) I really appreciate the patience :) And rest assured, I will finish this series! I'd never leave a fic uncompleted. I may even try doing fanfic commissions in the future or maybe just accept requests. Not right now but later when I figure myself out. 
> 
> Again, again, again, thank you for waiting so long for this! :) I hope you enjoyed!


	5. The Inevitable Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen helps Senku the best he can with all the tricks he's learned.

There are days that things can get really bad. When insomnia’s grip on Senku’s mind is unyielding and impossibly tight. Those are the days that there’s not much that can be done to ease Senku’s mind enough to sleep when the only thing that can be done is to be there and wait until he eventually crashes. 

_Today was one of those days,_ Gen thought bitterly, wearing his teeth on his bottom lip. The others had noticed it too if the feeling of ever-increasing nerves was anything to go by. Everyone knew not to disturb Senku at times like that, but someone had to be there when the eventual crash hit or else he might hurt himself. 

Somehow, Gen became that designated person.

He was prepared for it, like always. Gathering herbs and flowers and brewing a pitcher of tea, warming their blankets and bedrolls over a fire, rubbing lavender on every available surface he could find… Once the basic things were done, the rest would be up to him and his mind tricks. 

Finding Senku was the first and, quite honestly, the easiest step of the process. When Senku spent days without sleep, his wandering around the village would halt for ‘more important matters’ either in the lab or the science shed. Thus, making them the most likely places that Senku was camped out in. Though, Gen was surprised to note that Senku was, in fact, not in those areas this time, but in the observatory. 

The only reason he even knew to look there was because he could hear the quick mumblings and the sound of something scratching the ceiling from the science shed. With a heavy sigh, Gen grabbed his materials, balancing them precariously in his arms and climbed up the ladder to the second floor, confirming his suspicions as he saw Senku hunched over on the floor over dozens of papers, random minerals and a ton of charcoal. There were even a few beakers lying around, despite the strict ‘no science except astronomy’ rule that was placed in the observatory. 

Even in the dim light, Gen could immediately see Senku’s pale and clammy complexion, accompanied with what Gen knew would be heavy and dark circles under his eyes. Despite it only being early evening, the observatory had already been lit with candles that stayed near Senku’s body as he scribbled furiously on the papers in front of him. Another tell-tale sign that Senku was nearing sleep deprivation was the complete miss that Gen had even entered the space at all. 

Which posed another problem in the ever-growing list inside Gen’s head. If he weren’t careful, he might unintentionally startle Senku. That was the last thing either of them needed right now, but there wasn’t a clear way to get around it other than just announcing his presence and hoping Senku wouldn’t jump ten feet in the air. 

Gen tapped his feet on the ladder and made a show that he was climbing in, so Senku was sure to hear. Then he finally broke the silence with a tentative whisper. “Senku-chan?” Thankfully, Senku didn’t seem that surprised at Gen’s sudden presence, but even then, his body still flinched reflexively, which didn’t sit well with Gen at all. 

“Yes, what is it?” Senku droned at him, clearly not appreciating the distraction from his work. 

“Just checking in on you, see the progress you’ve undoubtedly made.” Gen smiled, hopefully coming across as friendly and inviting before he sat down and started unloading all the things he brought. A hushed grumble that was too low for Gen to understand ended up being his answer. “What was that?”

“Nothing! I haven’t made any freaking progress on any experiment or project, and it’s annoying as hell!” Senku suddenly snapped, throwing the piece of charcoal in his hand down against the paper he was previously writing in. The tension was clearly stacked high in his posture, and it was apparent Senku was near going mad. With frustration or exhaustion, Gen wasn’t sure, though it could have easily been both. Gen lifted himself off the ground and shuffled over to him, raising his arms and silently asking permission to touch. When Senku subtly nodded, Gen stationed himself behind and started rubbing his shoulders, feeling the taut muscles relax slightly at his touch. 

“Alright, Senku-chan, it’s alright.” Gen soothed, kneading a particularly tense piece of muscle a little harder, making Senku groan a little. “Why don’t you tell me about it over some tea?” Gen suggested, which seemed to snap Senku out of a trance he had fallen in as he immediately shrugged Gen’s hands-off and leaned back down to pick up the charcoal again. 

“Tch, like you would understand anything of what I’m doing right now.” Senku scoffed, annoyance clearly bleeding through his voice, but at least his shoulders looked more relaxed and less pronounced now. 

Gen paid no attention to the harsh undertones of Senku’s voice and continued. “Well, while my extent of knowledge certainly isn’t as vast as yours, I did make it a point to study the things that interested me back in the modern world. Try me.” 

“Name the formula for the law of gravitation,” Senku ordered, making Gen purse his lips as he tried to figure it out with sheer willpower, hoping the formula would just magically pop up in his head. When it didn’t, and Gen remained quiet, Senku looked back down to his papers with a defeated sigh. “Told you, you wouldn’t understand.”

“So explain it to me then.” 

That got a small smile out of Senku as he glanced in Gen’s direction. “And here I thought you hated my science ramblings.” 

“Senku-chan, I may not understand what you say, but that doesn’t mean I hate to hear your voice.” Gen chuckled, lightly elbowing him in the arm. “Come on, mad scientist, ramble and rant my ears off.” 

“Fine.” Senku sighed, giving Gen a piece of paper that had, what Gen assumed, was the formula he had been told to name a few minutes ago. “Basically the law of gravitation states that every object in our universe attracts every other object through a force that is directed through the line that centers the two objects that is also proportional to the product -” 

Senku continued talking as Gen nodded, urging sips of the tea he had brought for Senku to drink when he took a break to breathe through his monologuing. Of course, Gen paid as much attention as he could, despite not knowing anything about what Senku was talking about. If his plan went the right way, then Senku would tire himself out faster if he continued to use his tired brain to think. That and the sleepy tea Gen had him drinking, the massage from earlier, and the small humming he did as Senku would pause to write something down on the paper before jumping into his next rant, then Senku would hopefully and finally rest soon.

It seemed Gen’s prediction was turning out to be right as he observed Senku gradually slowing down with his writing and movements as well even started to slur his words a little. The crash was coming soon. 

With that in mind, Gen moved all the pillows and blankets they had into a makeshift pad to catch Senku as he paced. For some reason, he had taken a paper, stood up, shoved the paper against the wall, and had taken to writing like that. Gen chalked it up to spur of the moment exhaustion making strange decisions in Senku’s head. 

“That’s it!” Senku suddenly yelled so loudly Gen was sure the villagers outside would hear. “If I divide this number down twice, then carry the product over to this equation, then it’ll solve into a decimal that I can work with!” 

“That’s good to hear!” Gen encouraged, clapping lightly as he watched Senku start swaying as he wrote. Steeling himself, Gen got into position behind Senku, ready and waiting. Sure enough, he wouldn’t have to wait long as Senku suddenly stopped and stayed still. His tired eyes were slowly skimming back and forth over the page he was holding. 

“I- I go’ it,” Senku mumbled before he staggered on his feet and started tipping backward. Just as Gen had prepared, he let Senku fall straight back into him and the pillowed padding he’d constructed, making sure Senku’s head was cushioned during the fall. 

“That’s it, Senku-chan,” Gen murmured into Senku’s ear as he cradled his head. He slipped into his smooth, hypnotizing voice like warm butter on bread. 

“We’re going to rest and sleep deeply without worries or stress. The day has passed now; it’s time to sleep.” 

Gen heaved a heavy sigh as Senku fully unwound and finally slept. This was the outcome Gen hated the most. The outcome he could hardly help Senku keep in check, which resulted in him endangering and exhausting himself to the point of collapsing. He’d have to work harder to prevent this from happening again. He never wanted to watch Senku pass out from his own exhaustion ever again. The sight alone was enough to keep Gen awake with a determination that would rival Senku’s own. 

But now wasn’t the right time to organize those thoughts. Now that Senku was finally and blissfully asleep. The stressed creases in his forehead had smoothed out, and his body wasn’t tense anymore. It was honestly a relieving sight. 

Gen smoothed Senku’s bangs out of his face and laid him back fully onto his bedroll, blew out the candles, and got comfortable sitting beside him, stroking his fingers against his scalp the way he knew Senku enjoyed. Finally, Gen got back to humming and steeled himself for another long night of keeping watch over their scientist leader. 

And when the first rays of sunlight graced the sky, Gen would pull the doors closed to block out the light and keep Senku asleep for as long as possible. 

Because Ishigami Senku deserved to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh one more chapter to go!! Hope everyone's doing well and is safe. As you can probably see, I ran out of trick ideas for Gen to use so I decided to combine them all for the fifth chapter. I'm happy I was able to motivate myself long enough to finish this earlier than the other chapters. Next chapter will be Gen's turn to be pampered by Senku into resting. 
> 
> Anyway thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Overwhelmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen pushes himself too far, prompting Senku to be the one to look out for him this time.

It all started with a job. Or well… Really, it all started with a job Gen had offered to take, only to be rejected for it. Then he had to watch the said job be offered and accepted by someone else right in front of him. In retrospect, that development shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, but the damage was done anyway. 

Gen just couldn’t figure out _why._

The reason for his rejection was logical and rather simple. It was a stupid idea to even offer to take it when the job entailed carrying huge tree logs and hammering them into place so the Perseus could have a base. Why would he be accepted for that job? He wasn’t strong like the others or had a lot of stamina. 

Maybe it was the rejection itself that was causing the damage Gen felt. Rejection didn’t exactly play a good role in his memories. Times of cruel children who’d make it a point for him to know he wasn’t invited to someone’s birthday or that no one wanted to be his friend because of his weird background and style. 

But it’s not like Gen ever meant to let them get to him. He had bigger problems at home to deal with, after all. It all just piled up until something bigger eventually caught his attention and would distract him. Though he had to admit, the entire world’s population being frozen in stone for over 3,700 years was a very good distraction. 

Then came the war he was immediately thrust into upon waking, all the work of fooling Tsukasa’s kingdom then building the cellphone, the all-out battle between the two kingdoms and Hyouga’s betrayal. Big events summed up to be big distractions. 

It wasn’t like he had lost himself, though. Gen was rather proud that he managed to keep at least a hint of normalcy during his everyday routine, somehow managing to actually go to bed at night as well as convincing Senku to do the same. Speaking of their science leader, Gen was happy to note that Senku hadn’t had any more “episodes” or bouts of insomnia in months. The Perseus was well on its way to being completed soon, and then they could set out for the rest of the world. 

So why had he started to lose himself again? 

The rejection was a bit of a bummer, especially since it came from his favorite old-timer, Kaseki, but that shouldn’t have caused him to stay up at night thinking of ways he could be useful. 

Because that’s all that it really came down to in the end. Gen had to be useful, or he’d be nothing. He had to show he could put in the work, show that he was still a main player in their survival game, show that was worthy enough to not be thrown away. 

It was a familiar routine his head would go through. At the first signs of rejection, Gen would put in the extra mile to prove that rejection wasn’t needed. That people still needed him and wanted him around. 

Though perhaps he did go a little too far this time, pushing himself harder and harder until his body refused to let him go any farther. When stars danced across his vision and spots of black threatened to pull him under, like a fool, Gen continued ignoring it. That is until he was finally forced to shut down in the middle of his drive from the mines to the river and managed to crash the car into a ditch off the side of the dingy road they had built. 

He wasn’t sure how long he had been there, draped over the steering wheel with his legs dangling uselessly beneath him and consciousness escaping him in snippets of sluggish acknowledgment. It must’ve been a while, though, because, by the time he did register a bit of movement, he could also register the uncomfortable feeling of his leather clothes sticking to him, wet and cold. He probably would’ve also registered that he couldn’t feel one of his hands and that voices were ringing somewhere nearby, but exhaustion and maybe a bit of shock beat him to it. He was out like a light before he knew it.

——————

Waking up took longer than Gen had expected. With sluggish limbs and an equally sluggish mind, the comeback to awareness proved to be a hard battle, only won because of the itchy feeling intensifying on his right hand. Full awareness came seconds later when Gen tried to move said hand to somehow dislodge the itch, only to find himself unable to move the hand at all.

With a raspier groan, Gen thought he was capable of making he slowly opened his eyes to a pair of ruby ones staring at him from a couple of feet away. 

“Welcome back,” Senku whispered with a nod. There was a slight curl threatening to break free from his lip, but he held himself back from smiling in relief just yet. Instead, Senku leaned back and picked up the cup of water he’d left aside and offered it to Gen, who was slowly sitting up. A knot of… some sort of feeling weaved itself through Senku’s gut as he noticed the barely contained winces that would grace the other’s features as they moved. Wordlessly, Gen accepted the mug and drank a few small sips before clearing his throat with another grimace. 

“I already gave you something for the pain, but it might’ve worn out by now. Does anything hurt?” Senku asked right as Gen took a bigger sip of water. He shook his head and slowly swallowed to avoid choking.

“I’m alright, thanks.” Gen placed the cup back on the floor near him. His voice sounded better after the water must’ve cleared it. Senku nodded, grabbing a pitcher of water and refilling the cup. “What happened?” Gen asked once Senku returned the pitcher to its place behind him. 

“Car crashed into a ditch with you in it,” Senku replied, doing his best to keep the emotion out of his voice. Not that Gen would’ve noticed, Senku could already see him fiddling with the cast on his hand. As gently as he could, Senku seized Gen’s uninjured wrist that was insistently poking his injured hand and moved it away. “Busted your hand, try not to move it so much.” 

Gen hummed, letting Senku continue holding his hand. He hoped the redness he felt on his cheeks wasn’t visible. “How’d you find me?” 

“You never arrived with the next shipment of minerals to the river. Kinrou sent an alert to notify us, albeit, two hours later.” Senku said with a scowl dancing across his expression. Gen felt himself smile a little at the behavior before Senku continued. “You weren’t at the mines, nor at the construction grounds, so we assumed something had happened. But it had already started pouring by then, so we decided to only send a few people to search for you.”

Now that Gen really listened, he could hear the rain tapping on the roof of the hut they were in. “Who?” He asked. 

“Me, Kohaku, Ryusui and Chrome.” 

Gen coughed around his next sip of water in surprise. “Ryusui?”

Senku laughed a little, his eyes crinkling around the edges. The sight melting something tense from the air, making Gen smile along as well. Too quickly, the moment passed, however as Senku went on, a melancholy look taking over his features. “He was apparently very distraught, as Francois put it, knowing that one of his crewmates was missing in the rain.” Gen could only imagine the theatrics their sea captain would go through, though he never would’ve thought he, himself being missing, would get that kind of reaction from him. “Anyway, we all headed to the mines and started down the road. Didn’t take us long to find you.” Senku said as the tell-tale markings of a frown inched their way onto his face. 

“Aww, were you guys worried for me? I’m truly flattered.” Gen joked, trying to lighten the mood, which maybe would have worked, had his voice not completely betrayed him, and turned the joke flat. “Senku-chan?” Gen hesitated, squeezing the hand holding his as Senku glared at the floor. 

“I thought we were too late,” Senku muttered so lowly, Gen almost didn’t hear him. In all honesty, he wished he hadn’t as he felt his gut twist from within him. “You were stone cold and paler than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot. Your hand was crushed beneath you, and nothing we did seemed to rouse you.” Senku was the one to grimace this time as if he were in pain himself. “You just wouldn’t wake.”

Gen felt bile rise into his throat as he looked down to avoid Senku’s gaze on him. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, trying hard to keep himself together. An awkward silence hung over them for a while as neither knew what to do or say next. Finally, after what felt like centuries, Gen broke the silence with a yawn that escaped before he could stop it. 

Senku sighed as he moved to stand up. “Alright, you should sleep some more. We can talk later.”

“No, no, I’m okay.” Gen waved off the concern, rolling off Senku as he tried to stand up, only for his legs to get tangled in the blanket covering him. “Slept long enough, haven’t I?”

Senku scowled, quickly moving back to push Gen into lying down again. “Not nearly enough actually, your body needs rest to recover.” Senku insisted, continuously pushing Gen back down whenever he tried to get back up. Stubbornness was a powerful motivator, though, because Gen didn’t back down. 

“Ah, ah, I think I’m the one who would know exactly what my body needs, and right now, I feel like getting back to work.” 

A flash of a complicated emotion graced Senku's face, making Gen falter with his efforts to get up. “Gen, you’re injured.” Senku’s voice was low and laced with… Concern? Worry? Either way, it made Gen stop and shrink in on himself a little. His ruse was breaking, and they both knew it. 

“I’m feeling rather great, actually,” Gen muttered one last attempt, still sitting up on his elbows despite the obvious shaking from straining himself. 

Senku actually chuckled at that. “Don’t be stubborn and lay down before I drug you.”

“This is unnecessary.” Gen snuffed but finally complied, letting himself relax into the bedroll he was laid out on. 

“I’ll be the one deciding what’s necessary and what’s not,” Senku assured, getting a hard glare from the other. Senku threw his hands up and huffed at Gen’s behavior. “Fine, answer me this then mentalist, what caused you to crash in the first place?”

Worry flickered through Gen’s eyes for a second before it was gone just as quick. “I don’t remember. Probably saw a rabbit in the road or something.”

“With all the noise the car makes when it goes down that road? It would’ve run away long before you reached it.” Senku deflected. “Want to know what I think?” 

Gen was the one to huff this time though it had a nervous edge to it this time. “Do enlighten me.” 

“I think you passed out at the wheel.”

Gen’s eyebrow raised at the accusation. “And what would’ve caused such an abrupt event?”

“Seriously?” Senku deadpanned, staring a hole through Gen’s eyes until he started squirming under the gaze. “You’ve worked yourself to the bone these past few weeks.”

“I have not,” Gen mumbled. 

“You have. And now you’re arguing with me about it like a child.”

“Wha - I - Fine!” Gen sputtered indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout. “Excuse me for trying to be helpful.”

“You can be helpful and not strain yourself at the same time.” Senku gently unfolded Gen’s arms to remove the pressure he was putting on the cast. “Seriously, mentalist, it’ll be weeks before you can use this hand properly again. Not to mention all the nasty effects of sleep deprivation.”

“I am not sleep deprived.” Gen insisted, letting Senku softly fuss over the hardened clay bandages keeping his wrist straight. 

“You’ve taken almost 40 different jobs in less than two weeks,” Senku said, letting a serious tone take over to address him. “I’ve asked around too, no one’s seen you take a break, nor have you come back to our hut.” 

Gen smiled a watery smile. “Missed me, did you?”

“Gen…” Senku softly trailed his hand up to cup Gen’s cheek, feeling the heat steadily rise as he rubbed the skin. “When was the last time you slept?” Senku traced the dark bags hanging under Gen’s eye, making sure his touch was soft despite the calluses lining his fingers. “Or ate?”

That was it. Gen’s ruse had broken. “Admittedly, it might’ve been a while,” Gen answered a bit sheepishly, as he stared into Senku’s eyes. 

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“You do.”

“How would you know?” Gen questioned. The despair in his voice was definitely noticeable if Senku’s renounced concerned look was anything to go by.

“Because I know you,” Senku whispered as if he were soothing a small child. “You’ve secretly studied everyone here, cataloging everyone’s weaknesses and strengths. Memorizing them for possible future uses.” Gen gulped. “Do you really think I haven’t been studying you either? I’ve noticed things.”

“Such as?” Gen asked, wincing when his voice cracked a bit at the end. 

“You’re never shy to give someone your physical affection, but if someone were to be physically affectionate with you, you’d shy away from it.”

“Not true.” Gen denied, taking hold of Senku’s hand that was still on his face. “Not with you.”

“Maybe.” Senku smiled a little as Gen nuzzled his warm cheek into his palm. “But you still give and give and give yet you never take anything for yourself. Nor do you allow anyone to give you something in return.” Gen closed his eyes with a tight expression. “You helped me when I thought I didn’t need it. Please let me help you.” Senku used his other hand to smooth the white bangs falling over Gen’s eyes. 

“I’ve never done that before,” Gen muttered, letting Senku move his head to lay on the other’s lap, still continuing his ministrations once he was comfortable. 

“Would it be so terrible to try and start?” Senku asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Why?”

Gen winced. “I hate the feeling.”

“Of vulnerability?” Senku paused, letting the revelation sink into him. When he thought about it, it wasn’t actually that rare of a feeling to have. Most people hated to be seen as vulnerable, but it was probably worse for Gen because of his mentalism profession. “It’s not such a bad thing, you know.”

“It's a weakness.”

“It is.” Senku agreed. “But sometimes a little weakness is needed; otherwise, you’ll burn and crash trying to stay strong all the damn time.”

“Suppose that is exactly what happened then?” Gen chuckled lightly, stiffing a bit as Senku raised his hand and hovered it over his head. 

“Can I?” Senku asked. “I’ll stop, just tell me if you want me to, but I’d at least like to try.”

Gen was silent for a few minutes before nodding with a small sigh, and a whispered. “Okay.”

“Alright, this will be ten billion percent easy, so you don’t have to worry,” Senku assured, taking Gen’s hand and laying it on his chest where his heart was. “Just match your breathing to mine,” Senku said, smiling as Gen followed his paced breaths. He let his other hand smooth through Gen’s hair, lightly rubbing his temples from time to time. 

“Good, even and slow now.” Senku praised after a while, noticing Gen’s eyelids drooping. “I’m going to close your eyes, okay?” Senku gently smoothed his hand over Gen’s eyes, feeling the soft lids closing as he pulled them down. 

“Focus on me, what I sound, feel, and smell like,” Senku whispered, happy when Gen’s breaths became deeper. “That’s it.” Senku softly sighed with a smile. He didn’t let up his movements until he was sure Gen was fully asleep, and even then, the only change he made was moving Gen’s hand on his heart back down to rest. With his newly freed hand, Senku tapped the blankets in a gentle and random pattern letting whatever instincts he had in this situation take over. He let himself settle after a while longer, feeling the last vestiges of tension from the day leave his body. 

Gen was safe, a little hurt, but safe, and from then on, Senku would make sure he’d get him to sleep every night along with himself in their hut. 

The thought alone was enough for Senku to lean down and press a small kiss to Gen’s forehead, reveling in the slight smile that curled on Gen’s lips in his sleep. 

“Sleep well, mentalist.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's the last chapter! Very sorry it's later than I said. Accidentally pumped out the angst way more than I originally planned but I tried to even it out with fluff at the end. Hope it's alright and well balanced!
> 
> On my tumblr, (@ Widow-Spyder) I have a "choose the next story prompt" thing between two sickfic prompts that I plan to write for sengen but I can't choose which to write first. If you guys could help me out and vote which one you'd rather see first, I'd greatly appreciate it! 
> 
> Also starting next month during June, I'll be accepting Sengen prompt requests for a month or so. More details will be up later this May. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this series of fics!

**Author's Note:**

> She's here! And she's chaptered! This is based off an older fic I wrote for another fandom that I really wanted to write for sengen so here it is! It's shorter than my usual I know, but more chapters will join it soon. It won't be a two week wait, I promise! I hope it's okay!
> 
> Hope everyone's been doing well in this long hiatus! 
> 
> I have a tumblr! @/ Widow-Spyder.


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